More than 80 members of staff from University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT), Bay Health and Care Partners and guests celebrated fantastic staff-led changes at their Brilliant Bay Day on Tuesday 14 November.

The event, which was held at the Castle Green Hotel in Kendal, showcased outcomes of the Wave 7 and 8 Listening into Action schemes (LiA) and improvement work carried out across our hospitals. LiA was launched in September 2014 to put the power back into the hands of Trust staff who lead on the improvements that they think the Trust should make for patients and staff.

Some of the results of recent staff-led improvement projects have included:

 Working between care homes in Kendal and Royal Lancaster Infirmary to reduce the time patients needed to be in hospital.

 A reduction in the length of time it takes to recruit bank workers from an average of 45 to 24 days.

 A new channel of communication for patients and their relatives when at the end of their life.

 Raising the profile of what it’s like to be a patient with an eye condition on the Trust’s wards.

 Creating a new way of working by pharmacists in supporting patients with their medicines.

Liz McDougall, Associate Director of Engagement and Improvement, UHMBT, said: “All the staff involved in the projects have shown an incredible amount of passionand commitment around completing these projects, despite the day-to-day pressures of their jobs. No-one knows their patients and work areas better than those staff on the front line so it is only right that they lead the changes to improve patient care across the Trust.”

The event was visited by broadcaster Roy Lilley and Dr Terri Porrett from the Academy of Fabulous NHS Stuff. Roy Lilley, a health policy analyst and commentator on the National Health Service, said: “UHMBT has a massive amount to be proud of and it is great at sharing what it does with the academy. You are definitely now the envy of the NHS. The Trust has been through the mill but it hasn’t stopped staff coming to work and wanting to do the right thing and it hasn’t stopped staff making improvements. You are now and forever magic Morecambe Bay!”

Lynne Dack, Matron for Surgery and Critical Care at Furness General Hospital, UHMBT, said: “The event was completely inspirational and it was great listening to all of the projects that have been undertaken – there were lots of ideas and hopefully all of them will be shared across our Trust.”

Marie Bowler, Business Manager for South Cumbria GP Federation, added: “I was very impressed and I think the work that has been done will really improve the quality of care given to patients and families.”

David Wilkinson, Director or Workforce and Organisational Development, said: “We know how difficult it is for frontline staff to make changes and it has been fantastic to hear how staff have used LiA as a motivator and energiser to carry out improvements in their areas.”

LiA has been developed by Optimise Limited and has been adopted by over 70 NHS trusts since 2010. UHMBT is a licenced LiA trust.